Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1887-12-23

hau 10 pflnS the crude material some dis
lance by rail and water. 1t began to he q
question whether 1t would not pay to build
new furnace near the source OF supply and
abandon the old one Suddenly, however, Il
new ore bed was opened close at hand.
The TO ty-two acres of clayey hill Oh thu
Peabody farm was found to cover a heavy
deposit of limonita. As that ore generally
contains Impurities only fitting it for "cold
short" iron. little attention was paid to it. Bur
when the chemist of the company made three
separate analyse and discovered that the usua
phosphorus was replaced by nearly 3 per cent
OF manganese oxide, the thing took another
shape. The company offered Foljambe IL
handsome royalty, which he at once declined.
de would sell outright or not at all. After
some chafferlng and rough survey of the
bed, they took all the farm but the widows
five acres, and paid $4,000.
"a fool for luck" was the general comment
But the reputation of Foljambe for down
right folly was at its height when it leaked
out afterward that he had settled S35, $50 on
Mrs. Peabody-that is, the interest during
life to her, and the principal to her daughter
afterward. No words sufIiced to express the
wonder, contempt and disgust at this act of
folly
Old Figgs died about this time, and
Oalchieze offered me share in the business
if could put in $1,000. l had saved a little
over half of that by pinching and screwing
but was puzzled about the rest. Foljambo
found it out, and gave me the money on my
note. Some folk may think this folly on his
part, but | did not. Neither did he. for
have paid it back long since
When the Widow Peabody got her money
she sent Rebecca off to boarding school, as
rOnll wei Dff IN fha nj
manned for four years, barring visits home al
vacation. When she came back to stay she
had grown into a handsome, self possessed
young woman, and she wat quite admired 10y
the young fellows around In addition t.
good looks and good manners, she would have
nice sum i'll hard cash in time-a geo,
thing to adj to young mans family re
sources. But she of domestic turn
stayed at home with her mother and rarely
went abroad. No sutton seemed to meet
favor i'll her eyes. though she had several
During Rebecca's absence at school Fol
jamie had been going along quietly, and
people had ceased to talk of him. but shortly
after her return he broke out again.
One day an old man in dusty suit and
boots that had been blackened a week before
and who carried a small gripsack, got out al
Brantford station and inquired if the Widow
ilNeu dU lie Olu IdTin yet. we SOOH
learned that he was the long lost David Pea
body, who had come back after all thes
years, apparently as poor as "A church mouse
and doubtless with intent to sponge on the
Widow Peabody. He was not 30 very old
either, but looked like a man whom hard
luck and a hot climate had dried up and
wrnkled.
To our surprise he was made welcome by
the widow and Rebecca, and took up hii
abode there. He queer specimen.
After the dust of travel had been brushed of
be was clean enough, but his clothes were of
ordinary material and well worn. 1t was
evident that he was poor, but he didn't seem
to mind it. He walked about and held him
self up as though he owned one-half the
town and meant to buy the other. He was
ready with his tongue, too, and il any one
said disagreeable or impertinent thing could
repay it with interest. Foljambe took a great
notion to him and told me that the old man
was keen and had wonderfully practical bus
mess ideas for one who had not profted by
his precepts, thing l have observed to be
not uncommon. A man can pick up more
valuable hints from the unsuccessful around
him than he can from sharp business men,
So the two grew quite intimate, and almost
any fine evening they might be seen i'll COM
fab together on the widows front porch, wit
the widow and Rebecca seated near, inter
ested listeners to their chat.
This was in August, 1860 The whole
country was in a state of excitement. 1t was
known that reconciliation between the war
ring Democratic factions was impossible and
that Lincoln would be elected. The question
was, would there be war2 Foljambe suddenl,
put the plantation in charge of old Uncle
David and went of south. He visited Vir
gone about two months When he came back
l ask d him: docs the south really mean
fight, Mr.. Foljambep'
at really does" he replied, sadly ~ don't
think they'll be able to keep it up more than
a year or so, unless England interfere, for we
have the most money and the most men; but
it will be fierce while it lasts. 1t is going to
disturb values very much, as well as domestic
relations"
The first thing Foljambe did on coming
home was to build u number of long wooden
sheds, some of them inclosed; and lie kept the
going day and night. The whole
was aroused. Was he going
into sheep raising OH large scale, or what
folly was Fool Jim at now7 l was
his only partisan. Every one said he was
going stark, staring mad. But the excitement
grew to a hubbub when there came carload
after carload, by the railway, Of barrels of
rosin and bales of cotton-the former stored
under the open and the latter in the inclosed
sheds The cotton did not excite SO much
but the rosinl Such an amount
of it! Some one had the curiosity to nose
around and count the number of barrels piled
in one of the long and high sheds. Ten thou
sand Of theml And there were five more such
sheds, and jammed full Sixty thousand
barrels of rosinl Aud no end OF cotton balesl
What would he do with it'll What could he
10 with ita
The only partisan he had, as l have said,
was myself, and picked up dozen quarres
about it, Some one asked old Peabody about it,
"Uncle David, is Fool Jim GAVIN to set up
a cotton factory an ship yards Mebbe
he'll sem his ships down by the railroad"
sonny" said David, pack your head in
Ice. James Foljambe knows more in one
minute than you're likely to know in a year"
In the midst of this clamor came a bit Of